Dress || Denim Jacket || Shoes || Sunnies || Earrings
Dress: similar here, here, and here || Heels || Earrings || Clutch
Sunnies || Crop Top || Earrings || Denim Shorts
One Piece Swimmie || Sunnies || Sandals
Two piece set: top & bottom || Earrings || Heels || Bag
If you’ve been following along with me for even a teeny amount of time, you’ll know that I recently went on one of the most incredible trips of my life. One of my best friends that I’ve known since middle school (Marie) is getting married in August, and we celebrated her Bachelorette party over Memorial Day Weekend in the Phoenix, Arizona area. I had never been to the state of Arizona before, and had been SO EXCITED for the trip since the day I booked my flight (nearly four months ago).
Marie is someone who holds such a special place in my heart. We met in 7th grade at a student council meeting and were so different from one another, yet so much alike. I thought she was the coolest person ever — she wore darker colors, had her nails painted dark and listened to bands like Taking Back Sunday and All Time Low, which I had never heard of until I met her. I, on the other hand, wore pink and was probably extremely loud and annoying (…….not much has changed). From the first day we met, we clicked right away and have been close ever since. Unfortunately, we’ve spent the majority of our adult lives living across the country from one another, but that hasn’t stopped us from remaining close. Marie is one of those people I could go months/years without seeing (not that I want to), and the next time we see one another, it’s like no time has passed at all. And those are the best kinds of people. So here we have it, my Phoenix, Arizona Bachelorette Party Recap.
DAY 1
The trip began with a longggg day of traveling. I woke up at 5:30AM Charlotte time for a 7:30AM flight. The three hour time difference and four hour flight should probably have taken a toll on me, but my adrenaline kicked in as soon as I landed (after a quick layover in Chicago. So…. yeah. Long day). My friend Christina was waiting for me at the Phoenix, Arizona airport, and together we hopped in an Uber and made our way to Chandler, AZ where we were to be staying that night. This dress was absolutely perfect to wear to the airport. I’m typically freezing on airplanes, so I threw a denim jacket around my waist for when I got cold. The converse helped make for a comfortable, easy way to travel, and as usual, I had to add my favorite gold hoops!
Once all the bridesmaids arrived, we spent the afternoon catching up with one another and laying by the pool before it was time to get ready for dinner. Chandler is a GORGEOUS area. I didn’t know places like that existed! I think I found my new future home (in my dreams). I wore a new bathing suit I recently ordered from Shein that is a total steal. Seriously, you need this bikini in your life. It’s under $11 and so adorable! I’d been nervous about ordering from Shein, since I wasn’t sure about their sizing. I ordered a size small in this suit and it fits perfectly (very true to size for those wondering). I love yellow this season and have been getting so many compliments on this bathing suit. I’ve also linked other bikinis very similar on LTKit.
After the pool, Marie was decked out in a white ensemble, while the rest of us bridesmaids dressed in black for a fun night out. We started the night grabbing dinner at Culinary Dropout in Tempe, and from there, went on to some other fun bars nearby. I wore a black tassel dress from Vestique that unfortunately looks to be sold out right now. Luckily, I found plenty of other dresses just like it that I linked below! My turquoise earrings are my absolute favorites for this summer (read all about my obsession here), as well as this clutch that’s only $29 and SO adorable — it will definitely be carried around everywhere with me all summer long. Check out some of the group photos above. How adorable is the bride-to-be?!
DAY 2
The next morning, we drove from Chandler to Saguaro Lake (about 40 minutes away) where we rented a boat for the day. I wore these Quay sunglasses which were a completely new style for me. I typically tend to shy away from cat-eye sunnies because I never thought I could pull them off, but I received so many compliment on them! Long story short: if you’re insecure about something you think you could never pull off, at least just give it a try. You never know, you might end up loving the way it looks! These earrings are also from Shein, as well as this top, and they are both steals. These denim shorts will be worn on repeat this summer and they’re only $49. Again.. such a steal for cute/well made denim shorts! #BargainShopper. Underneath my shorts and crop top, I wore this bikini that is SUCH a pretty shade of blue. Again… also a steal. Are you seeing a trend here?
For the majority of the day, we parked the boat and had a relaxing day out on the lake just sitting and talking, enjoying some lunch and yummy drinks. DID YOU KNOW: Arizona has mountain goats? ….like….. along the lake. Goats. Just chillin’. If I’m the only one who didn’t know this, let me know. But I can assure you there are no mountain goats roaming the lakes of Connecticut or North Carolina. I was such a tourist and sent Snapchats of the goats to everyone I’ve ever met.
DAY 3
The third day was SO MUCH FUN. We went tubing down a lazy river, which I had only done once before in college. The last time I did the “lazy river” activity in Alabama, the river was not lazy AT ALL and was actually moving at a rapid pace and I ended up falling down a surprise waterfall and lost my Ray Bans. Sad day. Clearly I am not still bitter about that incident and I don’t think about it at all…. ever. Anywho, moving on.
The tubing place literally looked like a scene from the movie Holes. And then, just like in the movie, we had to board old school buses that took us down to the river. Basically… we were in Holes and it was the funniest thing ever. Unfortunately, I barely have any pictures from this day because we left our phones in the car (because, rapids) but I posted a group shot of everyone before we went to go get our tubes above! I wore this adorable striped one piece. You NEED this in your life, I’m obsessed. Later that afternoon, after showering the river water off of us, we spent the day relaxing at the Casita in Gold Canyon. No makeup, natural hair, and wearing pjs calls for a photoshoot… right? We also got a picture with a cactus, which was on our bucket list for the trip.
For our last night, we ended the trip with dinner in Scottsdale at a delicious sushi restaurant called Sumo Maya. It was soooo good, I think we ordered everything on the menu to try! Scottsdale was such a cool spot. I almost feel like I need to make my way back to AZ just to explore Scottsdale alone. Since it was 102 degrees in Arizona, I wore an adorable little two piece set to dinner and it was perfect for the warm weather. Linking the top here and the bottom here. My bag is a summer staple, and you can get my exact bag here. As usual, I’m wearing my favorite nude heels which are a major necessity for every closet.
So here we go… a MAJOR roundup of everything I wore on my trip. Enjoy, and stock up on these items for your next vacay! Also, if you have ever been to the Phoenix, Arizona area (especially for a Bachelorette party), let me know in the comments. I would love to hear about your experiences in Phoenix, because I absolutely LOVED it there and cannot wait to go back.
xo, Ashlen